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Leiden first university to join Workplace Pride

By becoming a member of Workplace Pride, Leiden University shows that it stands for an environment in which everyone can feel at home and have equal opportunities. Workplace Pride works for the acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LHBT) people in the workplace.

Vice-Rector Simone Buitendijk signed the membership agreement on 16 January during the New Year's reception of Workplace Pride at the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice. This department is one of the 32 existing members of Workplace Pride. Leiden University is the first university to become a member of the foundation.

‘With its membership of Workplace Pride, Leiden University is making a clear statement: we believe in diversity and inclusion, and we act on our beliefs,’ says Buitendijk. ‘We want our LHBT students and staff to feel they can be themselves at the university. We want them to have no worries on this count so that they can focus their energies on developing to their full potential in their studies and their job.’

The Workplace Pride Association is an international platform located in Amsterdam. With its extensive expertise, Workplace Pride can help the university to really put its diversity policy into practice. According to Buitendijk, the university can benefit from the experience and initiatives of other members such as Shell, Cisco, ING and Unilever.

Fred Teeven, Secretary of State for Security and Justice, was also present at the signing. He emphasised the importance of including lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals in the workplace and beyond, and called for continued attention from employers and government to ensure that everyone in society, including this group, can feel safe.